Playground equipment



July 5, 1932. F. ALBACH 0 PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Filed March 20, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet l K%.go

,Z/v VEN TOR Fran/6 flflac/i HTTORNEY July 5, 1932. F. ALBACH PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Filed-March 20, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED STATES :PATEN'B' OFFICE FRANK ALBAOH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T FRED MEDART MANUFACTUR- IN G COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Application filed March 20, 1930. Serial is. 437,540.

This invention relates generally to play ground equipment, and more particularly, to certain new and useful improvements in such equipment of the type or class commonly designated as sand-boxes for childrens use.

My invention has for its objects the provision of a playground sand-box which comprises few readily and inexpensively manu factured and easily assembled parts, which maybe compactly packed for handling and transportation, which is durable in structure and light in weight, which affords convenient, harmless sand-storage for childrens play, and which is efficient in the performance of its intended functions, and the improvement and simplification generally of play-ground equipment of the type mentioned.

And with the above'and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the'claims. In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a childrens sand-box embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary partly plan view, showing a corner of the box; 7

' Figure 3 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view, showing the interior of a corner of the box, the childs seat being omitted;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 44, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a broken vertical longitudinal sectional view of thebox;

Figure 6 is a framentary sectional view taken approximately along the line 6-6, Figure 5; I

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing a modified form of corner-post; and

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional View of the corner of the box shown in Figure 7.

Referring now more in detail and byreference characters to the drawings, which illustrate practical embodiments of my invention, my new sand-box includes, briefly now stated, four vertically disposed or upstanding legs or corner-posts A, opposed end-walls B, opposed side walls 0, and floor-forming plates D, D, all constructed preferably of suitable .sheet metal rolled, bent, or otherwise formed into the desired shape and contour, and all of co-operative dimensions for the forma tion of the complete box.

Each post orleg A longitudinally has substantially the form, as it may be described, ofa trough-like member preferably arcuate in cross-section, as shown.

Each post A also preferably tapers in Width or length of arcfrom its upper to its lower end and along its opposite side margins isobliquely flanged outwardly, as at 1, for (Bo-operative connection with a pair of the opposing end and side walls B and C, each of which latter is obliquely flanged at its opposite ends approximately at an angle of 45, as at 2, 3, respectively, a pair of the flanges 2, 3, in assembling the box-parts, being overlapped and presented against the post A approximately along the vertical median line thereof and the walls B and C being preferably detachably secured to the post A as by suitable fastening bolts or the like 4 engaging the flanges 2, 3, and the post A, as best seen in Figures 2 and 4. As so connected together, the oblique flanges 1 of the post A abut substantially flatwise against the outer face of the respective walls B, C, the respective posts A and walls B, 0, being further preferably detachably secured together asv to neatly and re-enforcingly seat in arcuate recesses, as at 7 provided for the purpose in the post A and its flanges 1.

At its upper end,each post A is formed with a horizontally disposed outwardly presented flange '8 adapted to provide a rest for, and to which isjpreferably detachably secured by fastening elements 9, a disk-shaped member E adapted to provide a seat for the convenient use of the child.

The walls B, C, are of reduced width relatively to the length of the posts A and are so fixed and disposed with relation to the posts A, as shown, as to be preferably somewhat elevated over or spaced upwardly from the ground or other supporting surface upon which the box may be disposed, and at and along its lower margin, each side wall O is doubled or inturned upwardly upon itself, as at 10, to provide a channel or seat 11, which similarly terminates short of the flanged ends of the respective wall, adapted to receive in floor-supporting co-operation downwardly presented side marginalflanges 12 suitably formed upon the floor-plates D, D, the end walls B being similarly flanged, as at 10, and provided with channels 11 for like support ing cooperation with end marginal flanges 12 formed upon the end floor-plates D. The latter flanges terminate short of the outer corners of the respective plates D, which corners are downwardly bent to provide tongues 13 adapted to fit against the respective pairs of overlapping flanges 2, 3, and to which the respective tongues 18 are preferably attached as by the lower one of the fas tening bolts 4, as best seen in Figure 4. The intermediate floor-plate or panel D is also provided at its opposite ends with downturned flanges 14 adapted to mutually interfit with respective channels 15 provided or formed on the adjacent margins of the endfloor panels D for detachably retaining the floor-plates in co-operative relation. Thus, in a simple, but convenient and efficient manner, the floor-plates D, D, are supportingly attached to one another and to the box-frame provided by the connected end and side walls B and C and the posts A.

Preferably, I may add, the posts A are each provided or formed at its lower end with a pair of inturned horizontally presented footmembers, or toes 16 for increasing the groundengaging surface of the posts, the floor-plates D, D, being supported, as described, in some- What elevated position over the ground.

I might further add that the seats E are each preferably formed of a stamping having an annular downturned flange 17, the corner of the flange being rounded, as shown, and the seats E covering the corners ofthe box. It will be observed that all the exposed corners of the box are rounded and provide smooth unbroken edges, about which children may freely play without risk of injury.

The modified form of the box shown in Figures 7 and 8 is substantially identical with the preferred form shown in Figures 1 to 6, both inclusive, except that the respective corner-posts A are of rectangular cross-section and of uniform width, the seat-supporting flange 8 of each post being of like angular configuration.

My new box in every respect fulfllls the objects hereinbefore stated, and it is to be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the box may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A childrens sand-box including, in combination, a trough-shaped corner-post, meeting side and end walls having opposed ends presented in overlapped relation in the trough of, and approximately flatwise against, the corner-post, and means engaging the abutting corner-post and overlapped ends of said walls for conjointly securing the walls together and to the corner-post.

2. A childrens sand-box including, in combination, a trough-shaped corner-post, meeting side and end walls provided at an end with obliquely laterally presented flanges, said flanges in opposed overlapping relation being presented in the trough of, and approximately flatwise against, the corner-post, and fastening means engaging the abutting corner-post and flanges for securing the walls together and to the corner-post.

3. A childrens sand-box including, in combination, a trough-shaped corner-post provided at and along its side margins with obliquely outwardly presented flanges, side and end walls having contiguous flanged. ends presented in overlapped relation the trough of, and approximately flatwise against, the corner-post, said post flanges being adapted to abut flatwise against the outer face of the respective walls, and fastening members engaging said post flanges and the walls for securing the post and Walls together.

i. A childrens sand-box including, in combination, a trough-shaped corner-post provided at and along its side margins with obliquely outwardly presented flanges, side and end Walls each provided at an end with an obliquely presented lateral flange, said wall flanges in opposed overlapping relation being presented in the trough of, and approximately flatwise against, the corner-post and the post-flanges being adapted to abut flatwise against the outer face of the respective walls, and fastening members for securing the post and walls together, some of said fastening members engaging the post-flanges and walls and others of said fastening members engaging the wall-flanges and the post.

5. A childrens sand-box including, in combination, a trough-shaped corner-post provided at and along its side margins with obliquely outwardly presented flanges, side and end members each provided at an end with an obliquely presented lateral flange, said wall flanges in opposed overlapping relation being presented in the trough of, and approximately flatwise against, the cornerpost and the post-flanges being adapted to abut flatwise against the outer face of the respective walls, and fastening bolts for detachably securing the post and walls together, some of said bolts engaging the post-flanges and walls and others of said bolts engaging the wall-flanges and the post.

6. A childrens sand-box including, in combination, a trough-shaped corner-post provided in its walls with arcuate opposed inwardly opening recesses, side and end walls having contiguous ends presented in the trough of the corner post and each of said walls having a rounded upper marginal portion seating in the post-recesses and means engaging the corner post and the walls for securing the same together, said posts being extended upwardly beyond the plane of said recesses to provide an elevated seat-support at the corner of the box.

7. A childrens sand-box including, in combination a trough-shaped corner post provided along its side margins with outwardly presented flanges, said flanges being formed with opposed inwardly opening arcuate recesses, side and end walls having contiguous ends presented in the trough of the cornerpost and each of said walls having a rounded upper marginal portion seating in said flange-recesses, and means comprising fastening members engaging said flanges and the walls for securing the walls and post to-- gether,said posts being extended upwardly beyond the plane of said recesses to provide in elevated seat-support at the corner of the 8. A chilrens sand-box including a troughshaped corner-post, side and end walls secured to and having contiguous ends pre' sented in the trough of the corner-post, said post being vertically extended above the plane of the upper margins of said walls and formed at its upper end with a lateral flange, and a seat-member disposed horizontally upon said flange and covering the corner-post and the adjacent portions of said walls.

9. A childrens sand-box including connected upstanding meeting side and end walls integrally bent inwardly and upwardly along their lower margins to provide upwardly opening channels, and a floor-plate comprising a plurality of panels disposed horizontally to said walls and having downwardly presented marginal flanges adapted to be supported in said channels.

10. A childrens sand-box including a floor-plate comprising a plurality of panels, some of said panels having marginal channels and another of said panels having downturned flanges adapted to be supported in said channels.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK ALBACH. 

